Full-fashioned-knitting machine



1,671,191 K. HOWIE Filed May 26, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 29, 1928.-

F-ULL FASHIONED KNITTING MACHINE lnueni'or Kenneth Jfo ays;

'May 29. 1928. 1,671,191

v K. HOWIE FULL FASHIONED KNITTING MACHINE Filed May 26, 1927ZSheets-Sheet 2 Inventor. Kenneth Jio/wie',

Patented May 29, 1928.

UNITED STATES PAT ENT OFFICE.

KENNETH HOWIE, OF N ORRISTOWN. PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WILDHAN MFG,(20., OF NORRISTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

FULL-FASHIONED-KNITTING MACHINE.

Application filed May 26,

Oneobject of this invention is to provide a frame structure for fullfashioned knitting machines of the Cotton type having the characteristicthat it presents a unitary construction in the sense that all thesections or heads are supported on and united toget-her by a sill orbase which rests upon the oor.

Machines of the full fashioned hosiery type are made up of a largenumber of sec tions or heads, sometimes twenty-four. These sections arearranged side by side in a row and the standards or cross framessupporting these sections are individually supported on the floor.

Machines of this type have elements extending the entire length of themachine, say forty-two feet, such as the thread carrier bars, and theslur cock carrying bar. Certain parts reciprocate vertically, such asthe needle bars. Certain parts reciprocate in a direction transverselyof the machine, such as the dividers and operating mechanism, includingthe catch bar. By reason of these various reciprocating parts and thedifierent direction of movement, considerable vibration develops inmachines as now constructed.

One object of the present invention is to eliminate this vibration. Forthis purpose I em loy a sill or platform upon which the di erentsections or heads of the machine are mounted so that all are boundtogether in, a structure which is of unitary character, bothlongitudinally and transversely.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the followingdescription taken in connection with the drawings forming a part of thisspecification.

.In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic rear view of a full fashioned knittingmachine of the Cotton type.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of the base or sill member.

Fig. 3 is a plan View of one of the sections of the base or sill member.

Fig. 4 is a cross section of Fig. 3 011 line 4-4..

Fig. 5 shows the base in end View with a standard thereon.

Fig. 6 is a detail view, and

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section showing two sections of the base boltedtogether.

In these drawings 1 indicates standards 1927. Serial No. 194,324.

ually upon the floor of the factory, I provide a unitary structure bothlen thwise and laterall by a base frame exten ing the entire lengt '1 ofthe machine and providin a substantially integral structure botlengthwise and crosswise, and upon this base frame the cross frames orstandards 1 are mounted. These standards or cross frames, together withthe base which supports them, provide a structure of the same height asmachines heretofore employed, so that the relation of the knittinelements, the parts to be manipulated by tie attendant and the positionof the goods as produced by the machine relative to the operator, is notaltered and the operator can perform all the operations necessary withthe same degree of convenience as heretofore. For this purpose thestandards are formed Without the usual length of supporting legsindividual thereto, the said base frame taking the place of the extentof leg heretofore used.

The base frame is of cast iron. It is composed of sections such as 4*,4", 41, 4*, arranged end to end and bolted together. The

upper part of this frame is planed along its front and back rails toleave two 11 standing ribs 5, 5, which provides for te' true setting ofthe standards 1 thereon. Each base section is provided with a cross baras at 6 at each end, and the longer sec-' tions, for instance, as 4",are provided with across bar 7 intermediate of its] length, all of theseparts, front and back rails and cross bars of each section, being castin one piece.

The base sections are each provided with a number of feet, as shown at8. These are braced by vertical webs 9 cast with the rails of the baseand these foot portions are connected with the downwardly extendingportions at 10 of the front and rear walls 11, 12 forming parts of thefront and rear frame bars of the base. The standards 1 or ribs 5, 5, ofthe base and are thus accurately located in respect to each other, sothat the bearings carried thereby will be in accurate alignmentthroughout the whole of the front and back bars or rails of said baseframe rest upon the floor, whereby a stiff, strong support is affordedfor the whole machine, and particularly those parts of the base framewhich receive the immediate downward thrust of the standards.

The foot portions of the standards are formed with lugs 5 embracing theribs .5 as shown in Fig. 5. This construction prevents the standardsfrom being twisted out of their prescribed relation to the other partsof the machine.

As is well known to those skilled in setting up and operating fullfashioned hosiery machines of the well known Cotton type, it isnecessary to true up the standards i11 dependently in the case of anuneven floor. Each standard transmits its stresses through theindividual truing-up shim or block to the floor. YViith my constructionthe stand ards individually need no truing up, as they are firmly.bolted down to the accurately planed upper surface or ribs of the baseframe. The base frame or sill is trued up as v a whole by insertingshims under the feet thereof, if needed, and the weight, stresses andstrains are transmitted from the stand ards to the base frame as a wholeand are distributed through the said base frame which is common to allthe standards.

This base frame also affords a support for the pivot bearing of the maintraverse lever 13, which gives reciprocating movement to those parts ofthe machine which move back and forth lengthwise thereof. Thistraversing lever is operated by well known mechanism and connected withthe parts it is to move by a link 1 1. Its pivot bearing consists of apin 15 mounted in a bracket 16 supported by the rear rail or bar of themain base frame or sill.

In the present improvement the thrust from this traversing lever istaken by the pivot and is distributed through the supporting bracketinto the rigid base frame which sets low in respect to the rest of themachine, is supported by the floor, and being massive in form, willsustain the thrust effectually and entirely independent of the standardswhich must, for perfect working of the machine, hold their variousbearings in alignment with similar bearings on the other standardsthroughout the machine.

The base frame or platform is made in 1 sections for convenience inhandling. They are bolted together through their end walls or flanges at17. Each section is of rugged form coniposedof front and back bars,angular in cross section, said bars being connected with integral crossbars at the ends of the sections. Where the section forms the end one ofthe base the cross bar atthe extreme outer end is of angle form in crosssection, whereas the cross bar at the inner end of the sectionis a plainhorizontal bar. Where the inner ends of two sections meet, then crossbars are ad acent.

The base frame is of importance in bold ing the machine against lateralmisalignment of the parts, as each standard is rigidly maintained in itsprescribed position and can have no displacement in a directiontransversely of the machine. This is not true where each standard orcross frame is individually secured to the floor of the factory. y

I claim:

1. In a full fashionedhosiery machine of the type made up of a pluralityof sections or units arranged side by side, andcom prising standardsspacedfapart along said machine,'for supporting the various partsthereof, and means for binding the units toget-her into one unitarystructure both lengthwise and crosswise of the machine, comprising abase frame of substantial solidity and weight to which the standards areconnected at their lower ends, and upon which they are supported, thecombined height of said base frame and standards being substantially thesame as the normal height of standards in prior forms of this type ofmachine, and the horizontal planein which the lower ends of thestandards lie being elevated in respect to the floor and comparativelyclose to the plane in which the working parts of the machine operate.

2. In combination in a full fashioned hosiery machine, made up of aplurality of units side by side,iandhaving standards spaced apart alongthe machine, a base member to rest on the floor having a pair of ribs atthe front and a pair of ribs at the rear extending lengthwise of saidframe, the said standard having foot portions resting on and embracingsaid ribs and bolted to the frame, substantially as described.

3. A full fashioned hosiery machine ac cording to claim 1 in which'aworking part of the machine is supported on the said base platform,substantially as described.

4. A full fashioned hosiery machine ac cording to claim 1 in which thebase plat form comprises front and back rails which are planed'on theirupper surface to afford seat spaces for the standards to accuratelyalign the same, substantially as described.

5. A full fashioned, machine according to claim 1 in which the baseplatform has feet spaced apart along the same to rest upon the floor,substantially as described.

6. A full fashioned machine according to claim 1 in Which the base frameor platform is composed of an open frame having front and rear barsintegrally connected by cross bar portions, substantially as described.

7. A full fashioned machine according to claim 1 in Which the platformhas foot portions to rest on the floor adjacent the points Where thestandards are supported on the said platform.

8. A full fashioned machine according to claim 1 in which the platformis made. up of sections disposed in the same horizontal plane, eachsection supporting a number of sections of the machine, said platformsections being rigidly connected together.

.9. A full fashioning hosiery machine according to claim 1, having atraversing lever to give reciprocating movement to Working parts of themachine and in which the traversing lever is pivotally mounted on saidbase platform or sill, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I afi'ix my signature.

KENNETH HOWIE.

